LOT Polish Airlines Flight 331 Crash (AGCK)
The LOT Polish Airlines Flight 331 Crash was a flight that took off from Edmonton to land in New York City. It happened on March 14, 2017. The airplane was a 787-8 Dreamliner. The flight was en-route about an hour and 15 minutes behind schedule when a small Embraer ERJ 145, only marked with 'Palau Airlines' on the sides of the plane crashed into the tail and parts of the airplane, causing the pressure to rapidly drop inside the craft, causing nearly everyone on board to faint within a time interval of three minutes. However, a flight attendant, Maxine Thornten, attempted to get the plane up. She did have a proper airplane license, being able to fly. The plane's landing gear then failed when she attempted to land at a place near the Catskills, with the coordinates of latitude 41.701365, and longitude -74.794877. The plane approximately landed at 16:49:05. The plane then grinded up, and as the plane's back burst into flames, the left side of the wing ripped. The plane then stopped ironically right before the large edge of the plane; seventy five of the one hundred and three passengers were killed, and twenty five out of the twenty eight injured survivors were majorly injured, while the three passengers had minor injuries. The death toll was upped to eighty two when six of the critically injured survivors died, and one person with minor injuries died indirectly after. History of the Flight The plane was scheduled to take off at 10:05AM, March 14, 2017 at Edmonton; the pilots reported that there was minor difficulty with the hydraulic gears, however this was later dismissed as it began to work later in the flight, after testing it. Due to heavy traffic at the airport, the flight did not take off until 10:20AM approximately, getting into the air as winds heavily picked up near the ground. The Edmonton Flight went on like normal, until they heard a loud beeping noise in the compartment, signaling about the hydraulics. They decided to Saskatoon J.G. Diefenbaker International Airport at 10:32, stating that they had to get new mainteanance for the hydraulics. They decided to land there, but couldn't after due to an unexpected accident at the airport. The flight then decided to go on normal. Eventually, 5 hours later, at 13:08, the hydraulics alarm went off as it neared Sault Ste. Marie, deciding to land at Sault Ste. Marie to fix the hydraulics. They landed there at 13:11, and eventually it managed to get mainteanance and took off approximately an hour later, continuing on its normal route as it began to turn and change course, going directly in New York instead of Pennsylvania. At 16:04, as it went over Syracuse, the hydraulics alarm rang again, but they decided to ignore it, despite having to be able to land. They began to notice that their fuel was being used unusually fast, they decided that it was a fuel error, however they thought at that rate they would still be able to make it to New York City. By 16:16, the flight was over near Binghamton, before abruptly changing course and going to the west over the Hudson Valley. At 16:37, a long private jet crashed into the back of the jet, sucking out seven passengers in the back, as the pressure rapidly went down in the cabin, causing everyone except the only flight attendant on the flight to faint; the flight attendant was still awake due to an oxygen supply up near the front. The flight attendant then managed to fly the plane down to the Catskills, attempting to contact them. She then contacted them, and told them an emergency landing was needed. The plane rapidly descended and landed on the runway at approximately 16:49, grinding up the bottom as the back of the plane burst into flames, incinerating an estimate of 65 to 70 passengers near the middle section as it landed abruptly, causing minor injuries to three passengers near the front, and critical injuries to those who weren't incinerated or gained minor injuries. The plane then rapidly began to stop, as the hydraulics let up, the landing gear dumping out, causing the plane to abruptly twist before stopping right before the edge of a large cliff, causing the back of the plane to dangle. The plane was then let out and all the remaining passengers who were not killed were let out of the plane. This accident was considered the worst accident in the 21st century, not due to fatalities, however due to the grueling nature and unusualness of the accident. Blackbox Logs The blackbox was found three days after the accident in a tree near the cliff. The following is what it said. The pilot's name is currently unknown, and the controls name is currently unknown. Pilot: Today is March 14, 2017. The weather looks partly cloudy but with heavy winds, with a bit of thunderstorms forming near the south of us. This is LOT331, control, do you read me? - 10:03 AM Control: Loud and clear, pilot. - 10:03 AM Pilot: *Inaudible phrase* Okay, taking off from the runway. Do you read me? - 10:04 AM Control: Read you just fine. - 10:05 AM Pilot: The hydraulics error is going off, I'm going to dismiss it because there was a mainteanance check just fourty minutes before. - 10:32 AM Control: What was that? - 10:32 AM Pilot: -Loud alarm noises heard- Probably just the *Inaudible phrase*. It's been going on for about two minutes now, I'm going to turn the alarm off now. - 10:33 AM Control: Alright, standby. - 10:34 AM Category:Crashes